The Classical Girl’s Very Casual “Top 10 Classical Ballets” List
Google “Top 10 classical ballets” or something similar, and you’ll find a whole slew of lists that, in truth, really don’t vary a whole lot. Some feature more contemporary ballets and include the works of Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan, George Balanchine. Others opt for the whimsical and light, like Coppélia and La Fille Mal Gardée. More than one list includes the spicy, scandalous (for its time) The Rite of Spring. But invariably, at least eight of the same ballets appear on every list, complete with a tidy synopsis. A synopsis, by its nature, is factual, to-the-point and, okay, a touch dry. Why, I thought, should I slave away at penning ten synopses—and have I ever mentioned how much I hate writing synopses?—when there are so many already? Besides, you don’t come to The Classical Girl for dry and to-the-point prose. You come here because you like (I hope) my casual voice as I muse about the classics. So that’s what you’re going to get in my “Top 10 classical ballet” list. Some entries are long, others are way short. Because I can.
Now, if you specifically want the detailed synopsis experience (and the plethora of flashing advertisements that go along with the article), I’d recommend the UK’s Evening Standard’s list HERE and the shorter, less commercial Masterclass list HERE. (This link works even when it’s crossed out)
And so, without further ado, here’s my list of Top 10 classical ballets, in no particular order. My very casual musings will follow below.
Swan Lake
La Sylphide
Don Quixote
Giselle
The Sleeping Beauty
Cinderella
Romeo and Juliet
The Nutcracker
La Bayadère
A Midsummer Night’s Dream